Diving Back into the X-Men: Era 12 (Again. For Real This Time.)

I need to make a confession. It took me a full two years to read through Era 11. Two years! That's... a bit longer than I'd like to admit. I actually tried to kick off Era 12 back in December with an initial post, but life, Writers of the Future, and apparently, my ability to stick to comic reading schedules got in the way. So, with a new era dawning, and after a false start, I'm making a solemn vow (fingers crossed!): Era 12, I'm coming for you, and hopefully at a much brisker pace this time around! Yes, I am restarting the restart!

For those who might need a refresher, Era 11 wrapped up with what can only be described as a seismic event in the X-Men universe. With just three devastating words – "No More Mutants" – the Scarlet Witch single-handedly wiped out over 90% of the mutant population. So, as we step into Era 12, we're plunged directly into the immediate, chaotic aftermath in a massive arc aptly named "Decimation." And if that's not enough, this era promises to end with yet another colossal event, "Messiah CompleX," sure to leave its own set of far-reaching repercussions. Get ready for a wild ride.

This particular stretch of X-Men history, Era 12, runs from January 2006 through March 2008. And let me tell you, it was a pretty wild ride in my own life during that period!

This was when my girls hit high school, jumping headfirst into the fantastic world of the North Stafford High School Marching Band. Meanwhile, I embarked on a new job adventure. The initial excitement, however, quickly faded as I realized my promotion prospects might be a bit... limited.

Necessity is the mother of invention (or in my case, education!). I decided to leverage my G.I. Bill and enrolled at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), earning two Associate Degrees. As you can imagine, with two kids in high school and college coursework on my plate, both money and time became incredibly tight. The inevitable happened: I had to put my beloved comics on hold for a while.

My original collection from that time ended around Part 8.  But fear not! I've since gone on the hunt and successfully tracked down all the missing issues of both Uncanny X-Men and X-Men (Second Series) to complete those crucial runs.

Now, my next quest is to unearth the missing issues of New X-Men and Astonishing X-Men. These are essential pieces of the puzzle for Era 12, and I'll be diving into them as part of this grand reading project. I've got a little bit of time before I reach their specific points in the timeline, so that's a small mercy.
Wish me luck on my comic book treasure hunt! And here's hoping I can blast through Era 12 much faster than its predecessor. What are your favorite memories or issues from this "Decimation" era? Let me know in the comments below!

• Part 01: Decimation: The Day After (X-Men)
• Part 02: Decimation: The 198
• Part 03: Decimation: Generation M
• Part 04: End of Greys (Uncanny X-Men)
• Part 05: Childhood's End (New X-Men)
• Part 06: First Fousaken (Uncanny X-Men)
• Part 07: Blood of Apocalypse (X-Men)
• Part 08: Childhood's End: Crusade (New X-Men)
• Part 09: Childhood's End: Nimrod (New X-Men)
• Part 10: Civil War: X-Men
• Part 11: Supernovas, Part 1 (X-Men)
• Part 12: Childhood's End: Mercury Falling (New X-Men)
• Part 13: Supernovas, Part 2 (X-Men)
• Part 14: Childhood's End: Quest for Magik (New X-Men)
• Part 15: The Extremists (Uncanny X-Men)
• Part 16: Blinded by the Light (X-Men)
• Part 17: Uncanny X-Men: Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire (Uncanny X-Men)
• Part 18: Torn (Astonishing X-Men)
• Part 19: Unstoppable (Astonishing X-Men)
• Part 20: Messiah CompleX

Ending Era #11: The New Age

Era 11: C+

I really struggled with the era. It took me two years to get through it because I kept stopping. The flagship titles suffered from average (and often bad) issues, while the associated titles only managed to maintain the status quo. Things turned around at the end with new energy in the pages of Astonishing X-Men, and a surprising new direction for the entire franchise. We heard three words from the House of M that continue to impact stories today: "No More Mutants." 

Astonishing X-Men #1-12 (A+): Joss Whedon and John Cassaday bring a fresh look at the X-Men. 

District X #1-14 (B) & Mutopia X Limited Series (B): David Hine examines mutants from the perspective of a human police officer in a community that is not his own. Lan Medina provides most of the art for both series.

House of M Limited Series (A+): Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel change the X-Men forever in a limited series that offers no easy answers.

Mystique #14-24 (C): Sean McKeever and Manuel Garcia end Mystique's spying days for Xavier in an uneven run.

New X-Men #1-19 (C) & New X-Men: Hellions Limited Series (B): Nunzio DeFilippis and Chistina Weir continue to write solid young adult stories.

Uncanny X-Men #444-465 (D): I am a massive fan of Chris Claremont, but this set was difficult to finish. That is primarily because he collaborated with Alan Davis. I have yet to enjoy anything they work on together. 

X-Men #157-176 (C): I am trying to figure out what happened here. There was so much talent, and some concepts felt like new ground, but the execution didn't deliver.

  - Chuck Austen & Salvador Larroca (C-)

  - Peter Milligan & Salvador Larroca (C)

X-Men Unlimited #1-14 (B-): Anthology series are difficult to incorporate into the broader storylines, but these were nice reads. 

Era #11, Part 25: Mutopia X

Grade: B

The House of M changed District X into Mutopia X, the center of mutant culture, but the human ghetto of Sapien Town lies just at its borders. A new human terrorist cell publically attacks mutant media mogul "Shaky" Kaufman, forcing the federal mutant/human investigation organization, the XSE, to team up with the NYPD before things get worse. Special Investigator Ismael Ortega joins Detective Bishop to investigate the new threat and uncover the darker side of Mutopia's most notable businessman. 

David Hine and Lan Madina do a good job of quickly flipping from an oppressed mutant culture to a celebrated one. The impressive part was that the creative team kept the focus on the struggles of normal people trying to live on the edge of society. The characters are all still recognizable despite the surface changes in their roles, but that only highlights how much they remain fundamentally the same person inside. The world may be different, but their choices still haunt them. This is particularly true for Ismael Ortega. I think this five-issue limited series better captures his character arc than the 14-issue run of District X.

[6-stars] Mutopia X #1

[6-stars] Mutopia X #2

[6-stars] Mutopia X #3

[6-stars] Mutopia X #4

[7-stars] Mutopia X #5

Collected in House of M: Mutopia X

Era #11, Part 24: House Divided (House of M: New X-Men: Academy X)

Grade: C

The House of M reaches the New X-Men in a rather run-of-the-mill story. With Magneto already securing the future for mutants, we see a new world for the next generation. Xuân Cao Mạn (Karma) runs the New Mutant Leadership Institute to train the future leaders of mutants and, therefore, the world. Dani Moonstar oversees the training of the Hellions, the most promising mutants destined to become S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

Both teams cross paths as each pursues a human resistance terrorist cell operating in Japan. They uncover a horrifying secret and the lengths the mutant authorities will go to protect the new status quo. 

The House of M gives us a glimpse of the New Mutants and Hellions had they been raised in a mutant-friendly world, which, understandably, alters their personalities. Most of them stay within character with slight adjustments based on new experiences, yet they still feel familiar and act as we would expect. However, others are so different that it is jarring, while a few (like Doug Ramsey) are only used as clunky plot devices. This wasn't a bad read as much as a missed opportunity to tell an interesting, new type of story.

[5-Stars] New X-Men (2004) #16

[5-Stars] New X-Men (2004) #17

[5-Stars] New X-Men (2004) #18

[5-Stars] New X-Men (2004) #19

Collected in House of M: New X-Men - Academy X

Era #11, Part 23: Season of the Witch (House of M: Uncanny X-Men)

Grade: D

The House of M hits the Uncanny X-Men in a wave of -- chaos? I found this run very confusing, but I will try my best to explain what I think was going on. When Scarlet Witch altered reality, she unleashed a chaos wave that threatens to destroy the entire multiverse. Roma, the Celestial Guardian, dispatches Captain Britain to seal the breach and save our dimension. Meanwhile, Rachel and Psylocke escape the Scarlet Witch's altered world by slipping into the White Hot Room. All three of them, however, forget their mission when they return to Earth and enter the House of M timeline, but time is ticking before Roma is forced to destroy this reality to protect the Omniverse.

This was not a fun read for me. I continue to have a hard time keeping up with Chris Claremont and Alan Davis when they delve into their Otherworld storylines. I don't fully understand the concepts, and I haven't kept up enough with the tangled tales to even know the different characters or their relationships. There was no real connection to the House of M, and plot elements (like Nocturne) are jarring and never explained. I was lost from the beginning and never caught up. The only positive was that Chris Bachalo joined the creative team as the regular artist. 

I would also not call this an Uncanny X-Men book. It feels like a continuation of Excalibur with the sole focus on Rachel Summers, Psylocke, and Captain Britain. I later read that this run sets up the launch of New Excalibur. 

[3-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #462

[3-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #463

[4-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #464

[4-Stars] Uncanny X-Men (1963) #465

Collected in House of M: Uncanny X-Men

Era #11, Part 22: House of M

Grade: A+

I often find that limited series does not add to the primary plotlines of the X-Men mythos. At best, they are interesting side adventures that delve deeply into a character, but more often than not, they seem like throwaway one-off stories that can be completely missed. Because of that, I don't pick up many limited series. That was a huge mistake for House of M. I should have read this when it first came out.  Brian Michael Bendis weaves a fantastic tale that changes the X-Men books for the next several years with three simple words: "No more mutants."

Scarlet Witch's deteriorating grip on reality already resulted in the death of some of her Avenger teammates. Concerned that her powers can do even more damage on a bigger scale, the Avengers and the X-Men search for an answer, but their options are limited. Therapy may not be enough, and many of the heroes from both teams start advocating for a more permanent solution. When they travel to Genosha to confront her and her father, Magneto, she plunges the world into a new reality in which her children are alive and the mutants are the dominant political and cultural force. 

House of M spawns many cross-over titles where our heroes find themselves in a world in which they are truly happy. Each of them must make a difficult choice of living the life that they always dreamed of or forcing the Scarlet Witch and Magneto to return everything back to the way it was. 

House of M is a series of heartbreaking moments from start to finish. It is masterfully written with such a large cast of characters and ends with the iconic phrase that jumpstarts the next phase of the X-Men's journey. All that from a limited series. Who knew?

[9-Stars] House of M (2005) #1

[8-Stars] House of M (2005) #2

[8-Stars] House of M (2005) #3

[8-Stars] House of M (2005) #4

[7-Stars] House of M (2005) #5

[7-Stars] House of M (2005) #6

[9-Stars] House of M (2005) #7

[8-Stars] House of M (2005) #8

Collected in House of M

Era #11, Part 21: Wild Kingdom (X-Men)

Grade: n/a

Strange mutant animals surface in Africa and are captured on camera killing a Pulitzer Prize award-winning reporter. Storm leads the X-Men to the war-torn country of Niganda to investigate, but they find that genetically modified monsters aren't the only things terrorizing the people. Black Panther is also on the trail and joins the X-Men as they uncover a bigger conspiracy. 

I am unable to grade this collection. I have only half of the set. I never picked up the Black Panther issues. That is unfortunate because this looks more interesting than it sounds on the surface. Yes, the plot seems a bit cheesy, but it does bring back an interesting villain (relic?) of the Cold War -- the Red Ghost! The story also touches on some deeper issues such as the often-forgotten plight of many African nations, and it explores the troubled relationship between Storm and Black Panther.

[5-Stars] X-Men (1991) #175

[5-Stars] Black Panther (2005) #8

[5-Stars] X-Men (1991) #176

[5-Stars] Black Panther (2005) #9

Collected in X-Men/Black Panther: Wild Kingdom